Early Miocene palaeoclimatic reconstruction of Tunçbilek basin

Abstract

The Tunçbilek-Domaniç Basin (Western Anatolia) is one of the most important Neogene coal deposits of Turkey. The age of the basin is early Miocene (~ 23-19 Ma) based on dating of volcanic units by the Ar/Ar method. Field work was conducted about plant macrofossils in Tunçbilek in 2010. Twenty taxa were identified belonging to two gymnosperm and 18 angiosperm genera. Dicot woody plants belonging to the leaf flora were used to reconstruct palaeoclimate by Multivariate Climate Leaf Analysis Program (CLAMP) based on leaf physiognomy. For reconstruction 18 angiosperm taxa collected from the area in addition 3 taxa determined in previous studies total of 21 taxa were used. The reconstructed values for selected climatic parameters are as follows: mean annual temperature (MAT) 12.1-14.5 °C; warmest month mean temperature (WMMT) 22.5-25.2 °C; coldest month mean temperature (CMMT) 1.6-5.4 °C; length of growing season (GROWSEAS) 6.9-8.3 months; growing season precipitation (GSP) 940-1380 mm; precipitation during the three consecutive wettest months (X3.Wet) 490-790 mm; precipitation during the three consecutive driest months (X3.Dry) 170-230 mm. Overall, CLAMP values expressed as Köppen climate types indicate that the Tunçbilek basin had a warm temperate climate with hot summers (Cfa) during the early Miocene.

Keywords

• clamp
• batı anadolu
• akuitaniyen
• makrofosiller
• yaprak fizyonomisi
• clamp
• western anatolia
• aquitanian
• macrofossils
• leaf physiognomy